The Karnataka Education Department on Wednesday, 4th September withdrew the ‘Best Principal’ award for B G Ramakrishna, an important figure in the hijab controversy that arose during the academic year 2021-22. The Congress government’s decision came in response to widespread criticism from the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), a political wing of the banned terrorist outfit, Popular Front of India.
Ramakrishna, the principal of Government Pre-University College in Kundapur, Udupi, was blatantly charged by the SDPI with requesting Muslim students wearing headscarves to stand outside in the sun during the hijab controversy while the BJP was in control in the state.
Secular Congress!
— Ankur Singh (@iAnkurSingh) September 5, 2024
Karnataka education department announced Best Principal award for BG Ramakrishna.
Muslim Organisations protested against it saying he objected to Hijab in Schools.
Congress has now put his award on Hold. Govt says delayed due to 'technical reasons'.
But you… pic.twitter.com/72PTeRe8gO
On Tuesday, in honor of Teacher’s Day celebrated on September 5th, the Karnataka government had announced the best teacher awards to 41 teachers, principals, and lecturers from government schools and pre-university colleges. Ramakrishna and A Rame Gowda, principal of Hunsur PU College in Mysuru district, were scheduled to be awarded the ‘Best Principal’ award. However, the government decided otherwise after SDPI raised objection.
Meanwhile, Ramakrishna claimed the award had not been withdrawn, but according to him, the Education Department said it could be delayed owing to ‘technical issues’. He stated that the Education Department did not provide a clear rationale for putting the award on hold. The state administration had planned to congratulate him on Teachers’ Day.
Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa also commented on the issue and asked the media not to politicize the issue. “I believe the committee overseeing the award to Ramakrishna overlooked a particular issue. After discovering the issue yesterday, we have temporarily put the award on hold. We will clarify the situation and provide an update. I have instructed them to re-evaluate and then report back to us. The concern is the way he treated the children,” he said.
As per the reports, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) fiercely opposed Ramakrishna’s selection for the award, associating him with the hijab controversy. SDPI Dakshina Kannada president Anwar Sadath Bajathur stated on X, “A principal who forced Muslim students to stand in the sun over hijabs has no moral right to receive such an award.”
The hijab controversy began in December 2021 in a government PU college in Udupi and then spread throughout Karnataka. In February 2022, at least 28 students were barred from attending classes at Kundapur PU College given their violations of the college rules regarding uniforms.
Later the matter went to the Karnataka High Court which dismissed the writ petitions filed by the Muslim girls advocating hijab. The court ruled that the hijab is not an essential practice of the Islamic faith, and therefore, all the petitions filed by Muslim female students seeking permission to wear hijab in educational institutions deserved to be dismissed.
Ramakrishna is also believed to have received hate messages from unknown numbers during the controversy.
